5 Carolina Panthers players who need a monster offseason in 2022

Deonte Brown – Carolina Panthers OG

There was a huge sense of intrigue when the Carolina Panthers selected mammoth Alabama guard Deonte Brown in the sixth round. The production standpoint during his time with the Crimson Tide was nothing short of exceptional, but character concerns and weight issues meant he slipped right down to Day 3.

Brown ended up being a relative afterthought for the Panthers in 2021. The lineman struggled to find his fighting weight and wasn’t given considerable playing time until the team’s season finale at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 18.

Considering how much the Panthers were struggling to protect on the interior, this was a surprise and a damning indictment of what the coaching staff thought of Brown’s development.

However, all hope is not lost just yet.

Providing Brown makes adjustments to his game and approach away from the gridiron, then he might have a bigger part to play in 2022. Carolina will reinforce this area of the field without question, but if the player works hard enough and displays the right attitude, then a starting job might not be too far behind.

Whether Brown has this in him is another matter. But his performance at the Bucs was encouraging enough and it would have been a significant confidence boost in the process.